› › › SETUP 1
Done!
WHAT’S HAPPENING
On the first side, the gumball drops out of the dispenser and onto the trampoline. It
bounces into the centripetal force funnel, where it spirals around. It falls through the hole
and into the variable-slope track. It rolls down and into the momentum trap. If a gumball
is already in the momentum trap, the first gumball will knock the gumball that is
already there down the track and into the pulley cup. Depending on how many
gumballs are in each pulley cup, the pulley cup may move down or it may not. On the
second side, the difference is that the gumball starts in the pendulum before it moves
into the centripetal force funnel. Refer to the physics explanations on pages 4–7.
10
7
7
Adjust all the tracks and stunts so that,
in your best estimation, a gumball will
travel all the way from the dispenser down
to the pulley cup. Place a gumball in the
momentum trap and in the pulley cup on the
right. The assembly is finished!
Now it’s time to test the setup!
8
It’s a good idea to put the gumball machine
on a tray, in the lid of a box, or on a piece
of fabric like a tablecloth when you are
experimenting with it. The reason for this is
that it is normal for gumballs to fall off the
track or for a stunt to miss its target some
of the time. You must carefully adjust the
model to get the gumball to travel from the
top to the bottom without falling off course.
The tray, box lid, or tablecloth will help
keep the gumballs from rolling all over the
place when they fall out of the machine.
9
Turn the knob clockwise to dispense one
gumball. What happens?
10
Segment by segment, make adjustments to
the model until the gumball makes it all the
way to the cup at the end.
11
Rotate the globe and dispenser to the other
side and try the second course.
12
Return the gumball to the globe each time
by taking the pulley cup and dumping it into
the globe funnel.
